1995 Mercedes Benz C Class

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. IT APPEARS THAT, DUE TO IT'S DESIGN USING "BIODEGRADABLE" PLASTIC WIRE INSULATION, THE HARNESS IS PRONE TO SHORTING OUT AND FAILING AND EVEN POTENTIALLY STARTING AN ENGINE FIRE. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE, AS A MERCEDES BENZ SPECIALIST, HE HAS SEEN THIS HAPPEN OVER AND OVER. THE INSULATION JUST CRUMBLES AND FLAKES OFF OF THE WIRES, CAUSING SHORTS AND MALFUNCTION. IN MY CASE, THE CAR LOST POWER IN A SITUATION THAT PUT ME DANGER OF BEING REAR-ENDED. THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE HARNESS AT A COST WELL OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS. *TR

WE JUST BOUGHT A 95 MERCEDES BENZ C280.WE GOT IT IN DALLAS AND DROVE HOME TO AUSTIN. EVERYTHING SEEMED OK WHEN WE LEFT BUT AFTER WE GOT HOME AND STARTED THE CAR UP FOR THE FIRST TIME THE NEXT DAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SRS LIGHT CAME ON,AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THEY NEVER TURNED OFF. ALL OF A SUDDEN THREE INDICATOR LIGHTS THE VERY NEXT DAY. SO I OPENED UP THE HOOD TO TAKE A LOOK AND AFTER CAREFUL LOOKING I COULD SEE THAT THE WIRES GOING TO CONNECTIONS ON THE ENGINE WERE CRACKED INSULATIONS EVERYWHERE ON ALL THE WIRES. SO I WENT TO UNPLUG ONE AND ALL OF THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES JUST ALL FELL OFF. NOW THERE ARE FOUR WIRES WITH NO INSULATION FROM THE CONNECTION TO WHERE THE WIRES ARE WRAPPED TIGHT. COMPLETELY BARE. NO INSULATION AT ALL COMPLETELY EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THIS SO I UNWRAPPED SOME OF THE WRAP TO SEE IF THE WIRES CONTINUED TO SHOW THIS DEGREGATION ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HARNESS AND IT DOES. SO I STOP THERE AND SEPARATED THE EXPOSED WIRES SO THEY WOULD NOT TOUCH OTHERS AND CREATE A SHORT. THE WIRE HARNESS IN THESE CARS IS A COMPLETE FAILURE. THIS CONDITION MUST BE CORRECTED BEFORE WE CAN DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE. WIRES IN A CAR THAT CANNOT SUPPORT THE VERY INSULATION THAT IS ON THEM IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.THE LAST TIME I SAW THIS PROBLEM WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD OF IT.AND IT KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON A PAN AM FLIGHT. ELECTRICAL WIRES WITH BAD INSULATION SHORTED OUT AND BLEW UP THE CENTER FUEL CELL. IF YOU LOOK UP THIS CRASH THAT KILLED EVERYONE ON BOARD AND LOOK AT THE WIRES ON ANOTHER PLANE YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE EXACT DEFECT. INSULATION COMES OFF AND WIRES TOUCH AND THEN THERE'S FIRE. ALL OF THESE PLANES WITH THESE WIRE HARNESSES WERE GROUNDED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BEFORE RETURNING TO SERVICE. THANK GOD BENZ DIDN'T PUT WINGS ON THESE CARS. *TR

I OWN A 1995 C280 SEDAN WITH JUST OVER 55,000 MILES. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AND WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE DESCRIBED IN MANY CASES. IT STARTED AFTER REPLACING THE SPARK PLUGS AND CONTINUED TO GET WORSE EVEN AFTER REPLACING ALL OF THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AND CONNECTORS. THE CAR BACK FIRED AND STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AS IF ONE OR MORE PLUGS WERE MISFIRING. USUALLY AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING THE PROBLEMS WENT AWAY UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL START A FIRE OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSS OF POWER AND/OR CONTROL. *AK

WIRE INSULATION ON MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS DISINTEGRATED EXPOSING THE INTERNAL WIRING COMPLETELY, ESPECIALLY IN BENT AREAS. THIS IS A RESULT OF NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. AS THIS HAPPENS THE ENGINE RUNS WORSE, PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED INCLUDE SURGING IN IDLE, STUMBLING OF ENGINE UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION AND STALLING OR RUNNING ENGINE. THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A "NEWLY" PURCHASED HARNESS FROM MERCEDES BENZ. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IDEA IS I WILL BE PURCHASING A WIRING HARNESS MANUFACTURED DURING ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN PRODUCTION THAT USES THE SAME DEFECTIVE, ADVANCED DEGRADING WIRING. *JB